Earlier this week in Japan, Disney+ and Hulu teased a future announcement on social media and today, Disney has officially revealed that the two streaming services will be available within Japan as a bundle.

This new bundle is available now and is priced at 1,490 yen per month, which is about $10.75, giving bundled subscribers about a 25% discount on subscribing to both platforms individually.

Unlike in the US, Hulu is not owned by Disney, as back in 2014, it was spun off from the US version (which Disney owns 66% of) and is owned by Japanese broadcaster Nippon TV.   Hulu in Japan offers a wide selection of Japanese content, including drama series, anime, variety shows, live music and sports, but none of the Hulu Originals that are available in the US, since those are released as Star Originals on Disney+ in Japan.

This new bundle is part of an agreement that was signed last year between Disney Japan and Nippon Television Holdings to leverage both companies’ content to build their respective platforms.

Carol Choi, md of Disney Japan said in a statement:

“By joining forces with Hulu Japan, we will bring high-quality global and local entertainment to audiences, offering more consumer choice at an attractive value.  We are confident that this bundle plan will appeal to an even broader audience in Japan.”

Nippon Television Holdings president Akira Ishizawa also said in a statement:

“We are pleased to expand this relationship and collaborate in the SVOD field. By leveraging the creativity and brand affinity of Disney+ and Hulu Japan, we will deliver more content that consumers want to watch.”

Later this year, Disney is planning on bringing Hulu content into Disney+ in the United States, as a part of a one-app experience, to offer a wider selection of content to Disney+ subscribers through an add-on.  Bringing Disney+ in the US, more in line with how international audiences have access to more general entertainment content.    It’s unknown if the Hulu and Disney+ bundle in Japan will follow suit, with Hulu content being available within Disney+, or if they will just remain separate apps.

The move to offer Hulu and Disney+ as a bundle in Japan, looks to be a trend of bringing the two brings closer together globally, as recently a Hulu hub was added to Disney+ Hotstar in India, but was quickly taken away.   Originally, Hulu was going to launch internationally, but Disney decided it made more sense to incorporate the content into Disney+ as the Star hub, which has drastically increased viewership and reduced churn for Disney+.

What do you think of Disney+ and Hulu having a bundle in Japan?  Let us know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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